Papillion-La Vista Fire & Rescue #2, Omaha, NE

A quick shout-out on the ole blog to the fine fireman that showed us around his station last month. 

We had dragged out the whole crew, including a 2-year old and a newborn. Our tour guide did a great job with all of us, finding neat things for each of us to identify with: 

2-year old - hose and water spraying, plus almost everything else... oh, and popcorn

Dad - Halligan, plus most everything

Mom - hearing about her brother's days and duties, from her brother

Newborn - well, pretty breezy place to sleep

Myself - pretty much all of it. The engine is just rad

It was a very cool hour or so. The job is no joke either.

The top of their rig really did look like the movie scene in Backdraft, 1000ft. of hose

Jaws of Life, air ram, and shears... all powered by a compressor and generator kept on the truck

Let's hope this video can play...

Retail Therapy: The Full Kit, Iowa City, IA

I recently found myself in Iowa City for the night... on the way to Omaha. I'd never been in this city before (pretty sure), but lucked into a relatively cheap hotel room and paged through one of those "downtown" tourist magazines. I noticed a store that did some high-end gym shoes, and as any sneakerhead would do, I had to check it out the next morning. 

I arrived on a rainy Friday morning right at their opening time of 11AM, but the door was locked and no lights were on. Since I'd trudged out to the shop through the pedestrian mall in the rain, I didn't have a problem taking some exterior pics and waiting a few more minutes to see if someone showed. Plus, the storefront looked great and even if I had to wait a bit, I wanted to see inside.

As luck would have it, the proprietor arrived a few minutes later and let me right in. I was very glad I had waited. "Pretty little maids all in a row"...

They had a nice mix of product and brands from Nike, Levi's, Herchsel, Adidas, New Balance, Vans, Asics, Saucony, etc... including items like jackets, jeans, t-shirts, hats, etc. It seemed like the full price kicks had all the sizes for a size run still left, and kept the premium prices. The reduced price kicks got a break on the price, but were down to 1-3 sizes left in the size run, so you'd have to luck into your size. They also had a "skater" feel, which I would guess is how the store started, but now seems to be more of a men's fashion store with a casual or street vibe. You could still find a deck, trucks, etc. but that was alongside premium denim from Levi's skate collection (adding Cordura and Lycra), and other fashion accessories that a hardcore teenage skater wouldn't be interested in.

I don't know enough of the complexities to explain the levels of shoe store ranking for each shoe brand, but I believe this store is placed on a higher level than your local Foot Locker or Shoe Carnival. As such, they are given access to premium, exclusive, high-end products, that you can't find just anywhere. It makes the potential to be wearing a shoe almost no one else wears pretty high if you see it and buy it here. And sure, some of the shoes here are similar or the same models at larger stores.

As an example of this upper echelon product, below is a Premium series Vans shoe. High-quality, buttery leathers, and this one sports a zipped on/off option. I'd never seen one before. Pretty dang sweet, but not my size.

If you happen to be on the I-80 highway and would be driving by Iowa City anyways, I'd highly recommend you get off the highway for lunch and walk the ped mall. You can make this a quick stop and then get back on the road. I would also try-on in the store as they only offer in-store credit on returns.

Over Easy, Omaha, NE

My brother and sister-in-law had been touting this place for weekday breakfast and lunch eats for as long as they've had kids, since it's near the pediatrician. Virtually every time they see the doctor, they stop here and get a meal. Of course, they also send us pics of all the food they're eating, every time. As luck would have it, we were in the right area to grab a late lunch when I was recently in Omaha, finally!

We can learn a lot about the place from their signage:

Seems like they have a nice story to tell, and good food to share, so I jumped in.

I decided to go for the breakfast side of the menu, but I'm told both sides are equally as good. I went in for their avocado toast with "hash brown rounds", and they did not disappoint. I might have eaten them faster than my pie-eating days.

To cap off this meal, I decided we could all use their edition of a Pop Tart. They have a seasonal version on the menu each day, but it had already sold out, so I had to (poor me) order one of their Nutella Pop Tarts. It was really tasty, and a pretty small serving when you split it b/w four people.

They had a nice clean sheet of white butcher paper on each table, and offer crayons so kids (or adult kids) can draw while they wait for their food to arrive. And we did have to wait. We don't know if it was the last few tables of the day, the weekend crew, or something else... but my family commented that normal weekdays are run smoothly and the food is very consistent.

In the end, it seemed like a very nice neighborhood spot to have where you live/work, and I would absolutely go back and try more of their menu options.

Windsurfing at Olbrich Beach, Madison, WI

I ventured out to my local beach, or should I say "break", on a relatively cold and windy day recently, only to be surprised to find a small cadre of windsurfers using the conditions Mother Nature provided to have one heck of an afternoon. It was too windy and cold for me to stay too long, but the windsurfers did comment that it was warmer in the water than out. Who knew this was happening right outside my door?

Tools of the trade:

From the looks of it, this must be an expensive hobby/sport.

And a couple videos of the folks in action:

Cafe Domestique, Madison, WI

It's nice to have local coffee purveyors and coffee shops in any town you live in. It's even nicer to have a comfortable, well-appointed, Intelligentsia-offering, cycling-themed local coffee shop. I finally got to visit one in the latter category last week, it's called Cafe Domestique.

For those not in the know, the French word "domestique" means "domestic" or "household". As another example, a "home computer", in French, is called a "ordinateur domestique".  In the cycling world this word is used to describe a rider who works hard everyday for their team leader, no matter the weather or terrain. They protect the chosen team leader in each race they ride, from wind, other riders, obstacles, etc. Perhaps, from the team leader's point of view, it means a person that they can always rely on, they find comfort in, and as someone who will take care of and protect you.

If that last embellishment of mine is true, it seems fitting that this cafe is in a quaint, quiet, family neighborhood, has a very cozy feel, and is easily accessible by bike. It feels like you belong when you walk in and the service and product meets those same values, imo. It's not at all a massive space, which helps it match the houses in the neighborhood, and feel very comfortable upon entry. That said, I'm not sure I'd bring a large group of people here, with a 4 chairs next to end tables (pic above) and 3, four-top tables, it only seats about 16 people. Despite that, I think this is perfect for this space and feel. I wouldn't change a thing.

(how many chainrings can you count?)

Since I was intending to sit for a spell and get some reading done, I went in headfirst and ordered an iced mocha (decaf, sorry) and picked out a nice raspberry muffin to go with it. Both were solid. Not only that, but Batch Bakehouse is a couple doors down, which is where I presume my muffin was born... and near the end of my visit, a woman came in from a local cupcake joint to drop-off fresh-baked cupcakes. The proprietor placed said 'cakes under the glass dish on the front counter right away. People helping people (eat cupcakes) - it's a beautiful thing.

The bicycle name is borne out in the space well, with cycling items, bikes, and books on display. They were showing the live stage of the Giro di Italia too "boot" (get it? Italy looks like a boot). Don't worry - sound was muted and great music was playing for the customers.

See that little doorway on the right - this store is connected to a small cargo bike shop, known simply as "The Cargo Bike Shop". They're not always open at the same times and have separate entrances, but still work together and even combine events. I'd overheard they do a monthly family ride and, if I heard correctly, music for kids in the cafe once a month. Word on the street is it fills up fast.

If any of this interests you, I'd encourage you to click their links...

Cafe Domestique

The Cargo Bike Shop

I didn't even get to talk about Intelligentsia, another famous export from Chicago. Perhaps soon.

Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Madison, WI

Though I've lived across the street (and through a park) from this botanical garden for about 9 months, I'd still not gotten around to visiting. There were some close calls, but my presence was requested recently, so I had a great excuse to go. To boot, one of the people in our party had a annual pass, so we got to see the free outdoor areas and the pay-to-play indoor arboretum. Both do not disappoint... unless you find plants and some animals disappointing. I did not. I found it a great way to usher in spring, with summer hopefully not far behind.

The spaces often incorporate art installations, and even this early in the season is no different. This was out on their front lawn before you even get in...

After a pretty long, dreary winter, it's nice to see colors. Thanks, Olbrich.

Now on to some plants - even this early in the year, colors were the order of the day. It was very nice to wander through and see what you can find...

 

From inside the large arboretum (greenhouse)...

They also have some impressive structures and fountains on premise, which gave another nice dimension to the visit...

A Thai temple or shrine...

A turret? Nah, more like a lookout... accessible by wheelchair, stroller, or on foot (which is pretty cool, imo)...

Finally, they have a great little kaleidoscope near the main entrance, you can see through two different views, and spin not only the viewer "eye", but also the live plants that both viewers are aimed at... it was a very cool display, with a small lone forming each time I went by...

I will definitely be back before another 9 months has passed.